


Not a Princess

by Nevermore_red



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And the Side Effects of Behavioral Meds, Angst? Maybe a little, At least on Sansa's part, Background Arya/Gendry, Boring Relationship, Ending Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Harry and Sansa aren't the main pairing, Harry is boring in the sack, Harry the Arse, No cheating, SanSan Endgame, Sandor is exciting, Sansa wants some excitment, Smut, background Lothor/Mya, drunk Sansa, mentions of mental health issues, nothing too heavy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-08-24 15:04:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16642508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevermore_red/pseuds/Nevermore_red
Summary: Sansa began dating Harry at the urging of her parents, and because she wants to be the good girl they expect her to be, she tries her hardest to make the relationship work. Only, Harry is just...boring. He treats her like a fragile, innocent princess and refuses to try and spice things up. Sansa is tired of it all. Besides, how could she just accept boring and unfaithful Harry the Arse when someone like Sandor Clegane exists?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The idea was given to me by a good friend on Tumblr who asked me to write the idea into a fic. So, this is for her and all the others out there that enjoy a nice fanfic to cope with reality!

Standing in the shower, Sansa sighed heavily. Harry had just gotten home from yet another late night at work and when Sansa tried to entice him into a bit of evening fun before bed, he’d gently kissed her forehead and said he’d had a long day. Instead of feeling disappointed, Sansa hadn’t been surprised. It had been like this…well, actually their sex life had always been a little lackluster. Harry was a bit boring in bed. He refused to do anything spicier than her on top, and that was rare. He insisted anything more would be abusing her status as a proper lady. Honestly, it was getting on her last nerve. This wasn’t the age of the dragons, for the sake of the heavens, and she wasn’t some fragile princess. And Sansa wanted some excitement, some pleasure! Orgasms during their time together were few and far between and usually at her own hand, and much to her own shame, it was usually with her eyes squeezed shut trying to imagine someone else entirely.

Determined to push past it and focus on the happier aspects of their relationship, Sansa finished up her shower and went to their bedroom to get dressed. Harry was already snoring and when Sansa looked down at his handsome sleeping face, the only emotion she could muster up was annoyance and frustration.

They’d only started dating a few months ago. Sansa aunt had introduced them and her parents were just beyond thrilled with him. He was handsome and charming, the up and coming CEO of his company with money and prestige and status. Everything they had ever wanted for their precious daughter. That was really the driving reason she pursued a relationship with him, and moved so quickly into living together. She’d always wanted to make her parents proud of her, to do whatever needed to be the perfect ladylike daughter they wanted her to be.

Once her pajamas were on, Sansa sat on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair out. From his nightstand, Harry’s phone lit up soundlessly. Sansa glanced back at it, worried that he’d turned it on silent and would miss his alarm come morning. Sitting her brush to the side, she went around to his nightstand and picked up the plugged-in phone with every intent on just switching the sound back on. Only it lit up again while she was holding it, and she saw that he had two missed texts from a nameless contact. Before she could do anything more, the phone was snatched out of her hand and she jumped, surprised to find Harry awake and glaring at her, his phone turned face down on the bed next to him.

“Why were you going through my phone?” he snapped angrily, and Sansa thought just a bit guiltily as well. It sent off alarm bells in her head.

“I wasn’t.” she said carefully. “It lit up without noise and I was worried it was on silent and you’d miss your alarm. I was only turning the sound back on.”

“Oh.” He breathed out, then dropped his phone back onto the nightstand, still face down. “You’re so good to me, princess.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips to give it a kiss. “Go to bed, now. It’s late.”

Sansa nodded, still feeling suspicious. She laid in bed without sleeping, mind going over everything. All the late nights, all the nameless phone calls and texts. How he was so concerned with having his phone on him at all times, never leaving it on the table or counters when she was there. Deep in her heart she knew, she had always known, that he wasn’t faithful. But for some reason, she felt that she couldn’t do anything without actual proof. 

-

“Are you sure you won’t come with me?” Sansa asked for the final time, slipping on her flats since Harry didn’t like her wearing heels. They made her taller than him.

“No, princess.” Harry waved her off from where he was sitting on the sofa, game controller in hand. “You go out and have fun with your friends. You know we don’t get along well.”

Yes, Sansa knew that. She also knew that it was mostly Harry’s fault. One of her friends, Lothor, even dubbed him Harry the Arse. Sansa had scolded him for the moniker, but couldn’t help but giggle. Harry really could be an arse.

Lothor would be out with them tonight. It was Gendry’s birthday, and Arya had invited a whole bunch of them out to his favorite bar. It had been a while since she’d been out with her sister and friends, so she agreed happily. Without another word to Harry, she gathered up her phone and purse, grabbed Gendry’s gift from the table by the door, and left.

By the time Sansa got to the bar, it was fairly packed. She glanced around until she saw a familiar hulking frame near the back, one that she always imagined when her eyes were squeezed shut with Harry. Her stomach did a swoop at seeing him, which was silly because of course he would be here. He was one of Gendry’s friends. Using him as a beacon, Sansa threaded her way through crowd and found a packed table of friends and family. She laughed and smiled and greeted everyone with hugs and kisses and handed off Gendry his gift with a Happy Birthday before scuttling down the table to the only empty space next to Sandor.

“Hello, Sandor.” She smiled up at him and he nodded back.

“Where’s the boyfriend?” he asked around a drink of beer and Sansa grimaced at the mention.

“At home.” She grumbled, but quickly forced herself to brighten. She always found it hard to put on a show of things in front of Sandor. Probably because he always knew when she was lying.

“Didn’t want to show his pretty face here?” he taunted and Sansa looked away to flag down the waitress and ordered a drink. Sandor put in an order for a round of shots for the entire table as well.

“So?” he prompted once she left and Sansa looked up at him.

“No. Can you blame him after the last time he was around you?”

“What?” Sandor managed to look completely innocent. “Can you really blame me for what happened?”

“You called him a pretty boy cunt.” Sansa reminded him.

“Because he was being a pretty boy cunt.” Sandor defended. “I don’t know why you stay with that prick.”

Sansa shrugged, because she didn’t have a new answer to that question. Just because she didn’t seem to have the ability to lie to Sandor didn’t mean she was going to completely spill out her guts about her suspicious and her unhappiness and the complete and utter lack of passion there was in their bed.

-

An hour and several drinks and few shots later, Sandor regretted asking about her relationship with Harry. It seemed Drunk Sansa had no qualms whatsoever about telling him everything. Literally _everything_.

“I mean, he’s probably got a whole friggin’ harem of lovers, but he can’t even manage to give me more than a sorry attempt at foreplay and two minutes of the most unenthusiastic sex _ever_!”

Sandor snorted in amusement at her slurred speech and her pouting bottom lip. It was easier to focus on that, the amusement, than it was the painful discomfort of acknowledging that she went home to another mans bed every night.

“A harem, Sansa?” he asked with a raised brow and Sansa giggled, body leaning into his heavily.

“Maybe not a harem.” She agreed. “But…but.” Her lip started to tremble a little. “I’m almost certain he’s cheating on me. I mean, what’s so wrong with me that he can’t give me the dirty hot sex? How come I get the boring end of it? Is there really something about me that demands to be treated with kid gloves?”

Sandor didn’t know the answer to most of that. He had no idea why anyone would want to cheat on someone like Sansa, or why they wouldn’t give their left nut just at a chance to give her some mind-blowing orgasms.

“I’m sure that any sex Harry is having is boring sex.” Sandor tried to comfort her. “It’s his problem, not yours.”

Sansa nodded, then suddenly pulled her shoulders back and slammed a small little fist on the table. “You’re damn right!” she declared, causing him to laugh at the uncharacteristic cursing. “I am a sex goddess. A regular femme fatal, I tell you! He’s the prude that thinks I’m some special little princess that can’t handle more than…than.” She hiccupped, glassy eyes looking up at him. “I bet you’re not boring in bed.”

Sandor damn near swallowed his tongue with the drink of beer he’d been taking. He coughed a few times, trying to clear his airway, then wiped a hand across his mouth.

“You’re drunk, little bird.” He grabbed the shot the waitress had just sat in front of her along with everyone else at the table. Someone else from the party had bought a round. Instead, he pushed the glass off to the other side of him, along with his own.

“I am.” She nodded, scooting closer to him, hands coming up to hold onto his forearm. “Doesn’t mean I’m wrong though, huh?”

“What do you want me to tell you?” he asked, grabbing the hand that was straying further up his bicep and under the sleeve of his t shirt.

“Whatsit like?” she hummed, propping an elbow on the table and cupping her chin in her hand as she looked at him with slowly blinking eyes. “To have some good - _hic-_ hot sex?”

“And that’s your cue to go home.”  Flagging Arya down, she helped maneuver her drunk sister out of her chair and after spending way too long while Sansa gave every single person there a heartfelt goodbye and a long hug, he assured Arya he would get her home safely since he was ready to head home as well.

“You takin’ me home, big boy?” she asked when he joined her in the back of the cab.

“Sure, girl.” He chuckled.  “What’s your address?”

“Wherever you are, sweets.” She tried to wink, but both eyes blinked and she seemed to have trouble opening them again. It shouldn’t have been adorable, but it was. When no further questions could get the address out of her, he gave up and gave the cabby his own address. Sansa passed out on the ride, leaning heavily onto his shoulder with her mouth wide open. When they pulled up, Sandor handed the cabby some bills and then hauled her out of the car. She was small enough and he was strong enough that it wasn’t any trouble to carry her up the walk to his front door. Unlocking it was a bit trickier, but he managed.

For a moment, he just stood in his dark living room, holding what was quite possibly the girl of his dreams in his arms, and he couldn’t believe he was here. She was everything he ever wanted in a woman that he thought never would exist. But she was another man’s girlfriend, and while he wouldn’t pretend to have any qualms with letting that stop him, she was drunker than a skunk and he wasn’t some slimy creep.

Heaving a sigh, he continued on down the hall to his bedroom and laid her down on top of the blankets. She was wearing a pretty purple blouse and fitted skinny jeans with a pair of black flats. Not the most comfortable of things to be sleeping in, but he wasn’t about to undress her. Instead, he pulled her shoes off and managed to work the blankets down from under her so he could cover her up. When he was leaned over her doing just that, she sighed happily, turning her face into his neck and inhaling deeply.

“Mm.” she hummed sleepily. “You smell nice.”

Huffing a laugh, Sandor stood back upright and stared at her for a minute. She was just so godsdamned pretty, even in her drunken disheveled state.

Grabbing a spare pillow and the quilt from the foot of the bed, he went into the living room and shed his jeans and shirt. His couch was deep and plush, and actually wasn’t that uncomfortable, so it was fairly easy for him to fall asleep, even though the idea of Sansa Stark in his bed wouldn’t leave his mind.

-

Sansa woke up suddenly from a dream of fluttering green lights and swirling emotions and rough kisses. Confused by both the dream and the unfamiliar room, she blinked her eyes to clear them of the haze of sleep and looked around. The room was simple. White walls, dark wood floors, a king size bed with hunter green and white bedding. There were no decorations on the walls, and other than the dresser in the corner with a tv and some loose change and keys, there was nothing to say whose room it was. With a throbbing head, she dropped back down on the pillows and inhaled slowly to calm her rolling belly. It was the smell that gave it away. It was a crisp smell, clean linen mixed with a woodsy body wash and deodorant. A smell so unique to Sandor Clegane she couldn’t be anywhere other than his bed.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to remember last night, but nothing would come. Given that she was fully clothed and alone in the bed, she didn’t think anything had happened. Especially since she trusted Sandor enough to know he would never take advantage of her. Opening her eyes again, she looked to the side and saw that there was a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water on the nightstand. Deciding it was best to get up and find out what had happened, she sat up and took a few pills, drank the rest of the water, and went in search of a bathroom. Tiptoeing out the door, she found it on the other side of the hall. Like the bedroom it was simple and without décor. A bath/shower combo with a white shower curtain half opened. Inside there were a few bottles of body wash, a loofa, and a bottle of two in one shampoo. She smiled at the idea of Sandor using a loofa, and then turned her attention to setting herself right. After using the restroom, she washed her hands and removed as much makeup as she could at the sink. Without a toothbrush and not wanting to use his, Sansa opened the medicine cabinet to find some mouth wash. There were a few bottles of prescription medications, a tube of scar cream, lotion, and an unopened box of condoms.

Sansa flushed when she saw them and quickly shut the door. Instead, she squirted some toothpaste on her finger and gave her teeth and tongue a quick rub before rinsing. Using his brush, she worked the tangles out of her hair and then tied it back into a braid with the holder she wore on her wrist.

With nothing else left to do to delay finding Sandor, she took a deep breath and made her way out into the living room. There was a comfortable looking sofa that had a pillow and blankets strewn across it. A bare coffee table that had nothing on it but a discarded shirt. There was a recliner next to the sofa, and they both faced a massive tv that was turned on to the news. But, there was no Sandor.

“Morning.” A rough voice said from behind her and she jumped a little before turning and finding Sandor standing in the kitchen that was open to the living room. He was leaned back against the counter top, a mug in his hands. He was wearing his jeans from last night, but they weren’t buttoned and he didn’t have a shirt on. The sight had her mouth going completely dry and her lower stomach clenched.

Man, she really needed a good orgasm if just the sight of a shirtless man had her nearly swooning with desire.

“Good morning.” She managed a smile. “Um, how did I get here?”

Sandor chuckled at that, pushing off the counter to turn around. Sansa watched in rapt attention while he opened an upper cabinet and pulled out another mug and went about pouring some coffee. The movements did quite pleasant things to the muscles of his back and shoulders. It wasn’t that Harry wasn’t fit, because he was, but he was nowhere even close to as big and defined as Sandor. No one she knew was, actually.

“How do you take your coffee?” he asked after pouring a mug.

“Do you have any cream?”

“No.” he smirked. “Just sugar.”

“Milk?”

He nodded, setting the mug on the counter and opening the fridge. Sansa moved into the kitchen and easily found the canister of sugar since it was sitting on the counter. Adding a few spoonful’s, she took the milk from Sandor and poured a bit in. She took a big drink and sighed happily at the rush of caffeine.

“So.” She looked up at him again, nearly overwhelmed by the masculinity of him in this close of quarters. “What happened last night?”

“You got pissed.” He grinned.

“Obviously.” She grinned back. “I meant after that.”

“Well.” He leaned back against the counter again, coffee mug in his hands as he stared at her. “You told me your suspicions about Harry and about how boring he is in bed. You made sure to tell me, and anyone within ear shot, that you were a, and I’m quoting you here, a ‘sex goddess’ and a ‘femme fatal’.”

“Oh.” Sansa froze with the mug close to her mouth, hoping the steam from the coffee covered up the blush on her cheeks. “That’s…embarrassing. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said any of that.”

Sandor shrugged, then sat his now empty mug in the sink. “If you think Harry’s cheating on you, and he’s not doing it for you in the sack, why the fuck are you still with him?”

“Relationships are about more than sex.” She said, rather lamely. Because of course relationships were about more than that, but what else was there in her and Harry’s relationship? They didn’t share friends or hobbies. They didn’t bond over common interests or even really spend that much time talking about things. They were together because it was what was expected of them.

“And the cheating?” Sandor lifted a brow at her. “Is that just a normal part of a relationship to you? I never took you as one for that shit. Always thought you’d settle for nothing less than your white knight.”

Feeling a bit ashamed, Sansa looked away from him and out the window over the sink instead. He was right, of course. She didn’t want a relationship like that. She wanted someone she could trust, someone who cared for her and was willing to stay loyal to her. Someone faithful and kind and someone that really knew her. Someone like…well, like Sandor.

A bit dizzy with that thought, Sansa missed what Sandor said next until he nudged her shoulder.

“I’m sorry.” She blinked up at him. “What was that?”

“I asked if you wanted to go get some breakfast.” He repeated. “I haven’t gone to the store this week so there isn’t anything here.”

“Oh.” Sansa smiled. “Yes, I think I’d like that.”

“I can take you home after.” He said in a different tone, but before she could decide what the change was, he was moving into the living room where he grabbed the shirt he’d worn last night and pulled it on.

The café they went to was just a few blocks away, and they spent the rest of the morning there eating and talking about everything. Talking with Sandor hadn’t always been easy. He wasn’t someone who was very open to idle chit chat, but after knowing each other for a while, and seeing that there was so much more to him than the surface and mask he gave to everyone else, they just clicked. It was surprising to find they had so much in common and he could make her laugh with very little effort. In turn, she never saw him smile as much as when they were talking. He enjoyed teasing her, riling her up, and Sansa often played into his hand.

But then her cell phone pinged with a text from Harry asking where she was. It surprised her that it had taken him this long to care that she hadn’t come home last night. Actually, it didn’t surprise her at all, but it still annoyed her that he cared so little.

“I should head home now.” She stuffed her phone back in her purse after texting Harry that she would be home soon.

“Prince Charming just now noticing you’re not there?” Sandor taunted, tossing some bills down on the table for a tip before standing.

Sansa ignored the question and instead thanked him for breakfast. A tension had filled the space between them now, and the ride to her place after giving him the address was silent. When Sandor pulled the truck up to the front curb of the house, she sat there for a long moment before glancing back at him.

“I’m going to confront him about the cheating.” She told him, but wasn’t sure why.

“Good.” He nodded.

“I think…I think I’m going to end things with him.”

Sandor’s eyes widened a bit before he blinked them a few times. “About time.”

She glanced out the window again. “My parents are going to be upset.”

“It’s not your parents’ relationship.” He pointed out and Sansa nodded.

“Can…would you mind it very much if I called you?” she glanced back at him. “After things have settled down, I mean.”

“You can call me whenever you want, little bird.” He reached across the bench seat to lightly trace a finger along her jawline. Sansa leaned into the touch, but then quickly pulled away before she did something she regretted.

“Goodbye, Sandor.” She whispered, opening the truck door and sliding out.

“Bye, Sansa.”


	2. Chapter 2

“What kept you out all night and morning?” Harry asked casually from the kitchen where he was fixing himself a bowl of cereal.

“I got a little too drunk last night.” Sansa paused to answer before slipping into the bedroom. She wanted a shower, but didn’t want to let things drag on any longer, afraid she would lose her nerve. Changing into some lounge pants and a t shirt, she went back out into the living room, but Harry was still standing in the kitchen eating his cereal while standing against the counter. Her mind made an unconscious comparison to seeing him in a similar stance as Sandor was earlier this morning. Only Sandor made her stomach flutter and Harry did…nothing.

“Did you have fun?”

Sansa thought about breakfast with Sandor, and how easy it was to have fun with him. It almost made her feel ashamed.

“I did.” She brought her hands together in front of her and tried not to fidget too much. “I also have something I want to talk to you about.”

Harry’s face immediately flushed and he blinked a few times before huffing a laugh. “What’s this about, then?” he tossed his bowl into the sink. Milk splashed out onto the counter and Sansa jumped at the clatter of the spoon. “Let me guess, that fucking Brune was running his mouth, wasn’t he?”

Sansa paused, wondering what on earth Lothor had to do with anything.

“I swear to you, Sansa, Cissy, the fat cow, didn’t want me to have anything with the kid. I didn’t even know about her until…”

“Wait…” Sansa held up both hands, her mind spinning. Cissy was his ex, she knew that much, but she’d never met the woman. And what kid? She had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

“And if it’s about Saffron, Lothor can just keep his fucking mouth shut. No one knows for sure who the father is.”

“Saffron…Saffron the daughter of that man you did business with?”

“Sansa, it didn’t mean anything.”

Sansa ignored him, turning and moving into the living room, feeling oddly detached. Sitting on the sofa, she looked up when Harry came in to sit on the coffee table in front of her. She fought the urge to tell him not to sit on the furniture like that.

“Cissy has a child.” She looked up at him. “By you.”

Harry flushed again, looking down at his knees. “Yes. Alys is two. It was well before you.”

Sansa nodded. It was something she could actually forgive, him not telling her, especially since he said Cissy hadn’t wanted him to have anything to do with the child before now.

“And Saffron.” She pressed on.

“Before you also.” He promised. “I only found out she was pregnant recently. I don’t know if it’s mine yet. I’ll have a paternity test done once it’s born.”

Again, Sansa nodded. She thought she’d be angry, but she wasn’t. She felt betrayed, that he would keep things like this from her, but then again, they were never a couple that sat and divulged their inner most secrets. She only knew the surface of Harry, the things he wanted her to see, and to be fair, Harry only knew those things of her.

“Be honest with me, Harry.” She looked up at him and waited until he was looking back at her. “Has there been other women? Since we’ve been together, I mean. I just want the truth, that’s all.”

Harry glanced away from her, towards the TV that wasn’t on. He sat there for a moment before the tension in his shoulders gave out with a slump forward. “Yeah, Sansa, there’s been a few. Nothing ever serious with anyone. Never an ongoing affair.” He looked back at her. “I’m afraid I’m not built for monogamy. The concept seems outdated to me.” Here he leaned forward and gathered up both her hands in his, angling his body on the table so that he was fully facing her.

“I care for you, Sansa, I really do. And I can make you the promise that you will always be my number one girl, and that I will always come back to you. If…if you’re open to it, I’d really like to stay together. An open relationship. I promise that I’ll be safe with the other women. I’ll never bring back something and give it to you, and there will be no more children other than the children you want by me.”

Sansa sat there for a moment, in complete shock. She wasn’t naïve, as many people thought, she knew that there were other types of relationships than the traditional. There was nothing wrong with any of them, so long as all parties were knowledgeable and consenting. Yet, Sansa wasn’t one of those people. She was hopelessly traditional, and believed in having a one true love. She couldn’t imagine ever being okay with the type of relationship Harry was suggesting. It just wasn’t for her.

“No, Harry.” She pulled her hands away from him. “I really don’t want that type of relationship.”

“Oh, come on, Sans.” He tried to cajole. “You can’t tell me there hasn’t been another guy that’s caught your eyes. Someone you want in a lustful way that doesn’t touch your heart. You’d be free to explore those feelings and still come back to me, someone you truly care for.”

Sansa shook her head. Yes, she had admired the appearance of other men. And, yes, she’d even fantasized about Sandor far more than once. But Harry was wrong about one thing. Her heart had been touched, but it wasn’t by Harry.

“I’m going to start packing my things.” She stood up. “You can keep the house, and all the furniture. I’ll stay with Arya until I can find another place.” She started towards the bedroom, grabbing her cell phone from the kitchen counter.

“Are you serious, Sansa?” Harry followed her. “You’re leaving me?”

“Yes.” She sat her phone on the bed and turned to face him. “I’m sure there is a woman out there that is interested in a relationship like you want, but it’s not me. It will never be me. Please, Harry, just…go. Go get lunch with one of your friends and I’ll be gone before you’re back. We don’t need to make a huge production out of this.”

Harry opened his mouth like he might argue, but then he snapped it shut. She could tell he was angry, and maybe even a little hurt, but this needed to happen. Snatching his jacket from the back of the door, he threw her one last glare.

“Your parents are going to be furious with you.”

With that, he left her alone in the house. There was every chance he was right. Her parents would probably be very disappointed with her, especially her mother, but they loved her dearly. She honestly didn’t think they’d be furious with her.

Arya and Gendry showed up just five minutes after Sansa called, and between the three of them they had all of Sansa’s things boxed and bagged up within a few hours. While Gendry and Arya carried out the last of the things, Sansa took a piece of paper and wrote Harry a quick note telling him goodbye and to please not call her.

When they got to the old cabin that Gendry and Arya had bought to renovate together, and Sansa was sitting on the bed in the guest bedroom surrounded by her belongings in boxes and trash bags, she started to laugh. She felt relieved and light and so very happy to be free of an unhappy relationship. It didn’t matter that she didn’t have a place to call home. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t sure what would come next. It didn’t even matter that her parents were going to be disappointed in her.

What mattered is that she was free to make her own decisions, her own path. What mattered was that her sister was supporting her and had her back.

Grabbing up her cell phone, she opened her texts and found Sandor’s number.

_I did it. Harry and I are no longer together. -SS_

_That’s what you wanted? -SC_

_Yes. It feels good. I’m happy. -SS_

_That’s good. You have a place to stay? -SC_

_Arya’s spare room for now. I’ll figure it all out later. -SS_

_I’m happy for you, little bird. Harry was a cunt. -SC_

Sansa flopped back onto the bed, a huge smile on her face. Her phone was on her chest and a few moments later, it buzzed again and she lifted it up to see another text from Sandor.

_Wanna catch a movie next weekend? -SC_

_Lothor and Mya invited me. Thought you might wanna come too. If you want to. -SC_

Sansa smiled, a happy fluttering in her belly. She quickly typed out her acceptance before Arya was yelling at her to come help cook dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

Standing in front of the full-length mirror that was propped against the wall of the guest room, Sansa smoothed out the front of her shirt and debated if it was casual enough for going to the movies. It was the fourth outfit she’d tried on in the last half hour and she felt a little silly. It wasn’t a date. It was just a couple of friends going to the movies together. Not everyone going was in a couple. It wasn’t a date, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t look her best.

Deciding the hunter green sweater worked well with her complexion and hair color, she slipped on her tall leather boots and dug around in one of the many boxes that remained unpacked along the wall of her temporary bedroom until she could find her favorite perfume. It had been a gift from her mother and she absolutely loved the crisp lemony scent. Giving her wrists and neck a spritz, she took one last look in the mirror to double check she looked perfectly put together, and then headed out into the living room. Moving about the cabin was always like navigating a mine field. The ongoing reconstruction and renovation meant there were ladders and paint cans and piles of wood everywhere. Not to mention all the power tools. Although she was incredibly grateful to her sister and Gendry, she couldn’t wait until she could move into her own place. With no renovations going on.

“You look nice, Sansa.” Gendry said from the open kitchen, where he was measuring out what would eventually be where their island sat.

“Thank you.” She smoothed a hand across her hair one last time. “Are you and Arya not coming to the movies?”

“Oh, no.” Gendry let the tape snap back into the holder. “She’s at the hardware store. We want to knock out the tub in the master bath tonight.”

“Good luck.” Sansa offered him a smile as she gathered her purse and car keys. “You guys are doing a wonderful job with the place. I’m sure the bathroom will be amazing.”

“Hopefully.” He nodded. “Have a good night.”

With a wave, Sansa headed out to her car and started the drive to the theatre. Her stomach was all twisted in excited, nervous knots. It felt like she was back in high school going on her first date again.

“This isn’t a date.” She reminded herself as she pulled into the parking lot of the theatre. She easily spotted Sandor’s pickup and parked her car next to it. Taking a few deep breaths, she stepped out into the cool night air and found Sandor leaning against the tailgate of his truck.

“You alright?” he eyed her curiously and Sansa wanted to bury herself when she realized he’d seen her taking those deep breaths before she got out of the car.

“Fine.” She gave him a bright smile. “Where are the others?”

Sandor jerked a thumb towards the front of the theatre. “Inside at the concession.”

“Did you just arrive, then?” she guessed as he pushed off the back of his truck. He cleared his throat and pointedly looked at where they were walking instead of at her.

“No. I was waiting for you.” He cast her a quick glance. “It’s dark. Wanted to make sure you made it inside alright.”

Sansa smiled at the warmth that caused in her chest. The movie theatre was in the middle of town, in a very well patrolled and nice area. The parking lot was incredibly well lit.  There was really no need for him to wait for her. Instead of pointing that out, she thanked him and together they walked into the theatre. Sandor had already bought his ticket and when Sansa tried to go up to the ticket booth to buy hers, he grabbed her arm and stopped her, thrusting a small slip of paper into her hand. She looked at it, realized it was a ticket to the movie, but when she looked back up to try and offer to pay for it, he’d already walked off to where Lothor and Mya were standing near the concession. Sansa had thought there would be more from the friends’ group, but it turned out it would just be the four of them. Like a double date. Not that anyone had said it was a date in the first place.

The theatre was packed and the four of them ended up sitting near the back, but there were four seats together so it was alright. Sansa and Mya sat next to each other, with Lothor on Mya’s other side and Sandor at Sansa’s.

“Harry taking the breakup alright?” Sandor whispered as they waited for the trailers to start.

“I actually haven’t spoken to him at all since I moved out.” Sansa shrugged, then looked over at Sandor. “He’s probably relieved to be rid of me.” She laughed lightly but Sandor didn’t smile. A small frown tugged at his brows.

“I always knew he was a fucking idiot.” His head cocked to the side. “That right there just proves it.”

Sansa flushed, looking down at the arm between their seats that they would have to share. “I think Harry wanted a perfect little princess. Someone he could dote on and show off to all the appropriate people. A little doll he could sit aside when he grew bored so he could carry on all his illicit affairs. I couldn’t be that for him.”

Beside her, Sandor nodded, shifting back towards the movie screen. “The little princess bit is all for show, then?”

For some reason, that stung a little, but Sansa blinked back the small hurt. “No one wants to be a princess all the time.” She said softly. “Who was it that said that men either wanted a whore or a saint, but most women were a bit of both?”

Sandor’s head jerked back around to look at her and Sansa felt a small measure of satisfaction at the shock on his face. He blinked a few times, then huffed a laugh. “I have no idea.”

“Well.” She grinned a little. “Whoever they were, I think they were right.”

“A lady in the streets but a freak in the sheets, huh?” his eyes twinkled with mirth and something a bit hotter and Sansa giggled, face warm and stomach pleasantly fluttery.

“Maybe not.” She conceded, turning back to the screen as the lights dimmed. Picking up her soda, she took a sip, a smile still on her face as she felt Sandor’s eyes still on her. “Or maybe the right guy just hasn’t come around to bring that out in me.” She glanced up at him and though it was now too dark to really see his eyes properly, she could feel the intensity coming from him. “Yet.”

Eventually the movie started and Sansa realized she hadn’t even paid attention to what film they were going to be watching. It turned out to be a horror/romance. Enough jump scares that Sansa instinctually reached out for assurance and Sandor just as easily took her hand in his and allowed her to bury her face in his shoulder when things got too scary. But then there were a few intimate scenes that had her feeling a little flustered, especially since she was still clutching onto Sandor’s arm. If he noticed or it bothered him to be this close to her while watching the couple on screen have sex, he didn’t let on. Towards the end, there was a twist in the plot, and it was one Sansa didn’t really understand. She made a small noise of confusion and Sandor heard, looking down at her. She looked up at him and licked her lips before whispering.

“I don’t understand.”

Sandor grinned, then leaned down so his lips were just a centimeter away from her ear. When he started speaking, Sansa sucked in a breath, her eyes fluttering shut. The soft brush of air against her ear, the heat of his breath, had her skin breaking out in goosebumps and she bit her lip against a sigh. She never understood what he was saying, too utterly turned on by the act that she couldn’t concentrate.

She crossed her legs, leaned into him a little more, and squirmed a little at the wetness she could feel building between her legs.

Then Sandor was pulling back enough to look at her and Sansa let her eyes blink open, lips parted as she turned her face towards his.

“Understand now?” he asked, and Sansa had trouble pulling her eyes away from his lips so close to her own.

“Uh.” She closed her eyes and tried to compose herself. “Yes, I think so.”

Sandor chuckled softly and Sansa just knew he didn’t believe her. She opened her eyes and found his eyes sliding slowly back to hers from her mouth. He suddenly wasn’t smiling anymore, so Sansa did. She lifted the hand that wasn’t holding his and let her fingers brush along his cheek. She enjoyed the way he immediately leaned into the touch.

“Thank you for explaining.” She whispered, then turned back to the movie before she let herself get too lost in the moment in a public place. She still didn’t understand the plot twist, and had missed a good chunk of scenes during their little moment, so she didn’t even bother trying to follow the last thirty minutes of the movie. When it was over, Sandor dropped her hand when they all stood so he could carry the mostly empty popcorn bag and his own drink. Sansa grabbed her own drink and followed Lothor and Mya out into the lobby.

“That was so good.” Mya gushed. “Seriously, did you even see that coming? That they were the same person all along?” She looked at Sansa.

“No.” Sansa agreed. “I didn’t see it coming at all.” Nor did she even realize they were the same person until Mya just said it, though it did explain a lot about what she’d been confused on.

“Not enough action for my taste.” Lothor added, tossing an arm around Mya as they walked towards the doors. “But, not a bad flick. What’d you think, Sandor?”

“Acting was decent, plot was for shit.” He said, then opened the door for all of them to go out. Sansa shivered at the chilly night air and Sandor moved to stand closer to her on the curb.

“I can agree with that.” Mya nodded. “So, we’re parked over there.” She pointed to the opposite side of the lot as Sansa and Sandor were parked. “You guys want to hit up a bar?”

“I actually have an early meeting with a realtor tomorrow. We’re looking at a few rentals. I should get back to Arya’s.”

After saying goodnight to Lothor and Mya, Sandor and Sansa walked to their cars in comfortable silence.

“Where are you looking tomorrow?” he asked when they reached his truck.

“Mostly on the north side of town.” Sansa sighed. “I wanted my dad to come with me, but he’s out of town on business and Robb went with him.”

“I can come with you.” Sandor offered and when Sansa looked up at him, he grinned. “I do own a construction business. I know what I’m looking at.”

“Alright.” Sansa smiled. “That actually sounds like a good idea.”

Sandor nodded, scratching at his chin for a moment. “What time do I need to pick you up?”

“Around 7:30? We have to meet Brienne at 8 at the first place.”

“7:30 it is.” He stepped closer to her and Sansa unconsciously mirrored the action. Her stomach did a little swoop and she couldn’t help but shiver just a little. One of his hands came up, rough fingers brushing along her jawline until he reached her chin. There he hooked his fingers under her chin and tilted her face further up to hers. Sansa felt her eyes flutter, but forced them to stay open and when she realized he wasn’t going to go any further, Sansa lifted up on her toes and kissed the corner of his mouth, then shifted to press her cheek against his burnt one, one arm around his waist in a sort of hug.

“See you in the morning.” She whispered, then pulled away and headed to her car. There was a huge smile on her face and a giddy feeling in her stomach that she never had with Harry. Neither of those things faded on her drive back to Arya’s.


	4. Chapter 4

Sandor arrived at the cabin a little before 7:30, and Arya was the one who opened the door when he knocked. She was wearing a pair of paint splattered overalls with chunky boots and a bandana wrapped around her hair. She smirked when she saw it was him.

“How was the movie last night?” she asked with a teasing lilt to her voice and Sandor rolled his eyes.

“Pretty fucking good since your annoying little ass decided not to come.”

Arya snorted a laugh, moving to the side to let him in before moving into the kitchen where she was priming the newly installed cabinets.

“Your sister awake?” he followed her, leaning against the doorframe after making sure it wasn’t wet with fresh paint.

Arya lifted a shoulder in a shrug and then tipped her head back. “Sansa!” she yelled. “Your dog wants to go out!”

Biting his tongue from making some sort of reply, he instead shook his head and made his way back to the front of the cabin. Verbal sparring with Arya was always a good time, but it could also go on forever and they needed to get going if they were going to meet up with Brienne on time.

“Coming!” Sansa’s sweet voice called out from somewhere down the hall and a moment later she popped out, adjusting the maroon floral hoodie she wore over a pair of black leggings. She smiled brightly at Sandor, and then turned towards the kitchen.

“I’m leaving, Arya.” She told her sister. “And next time there’s a guest, try and be nice.”

“Get your own place and you can be as nice as you want to him.” Arya taunted and Sansa sighed, looking back at Sandor with a hint of a blush on her cheeks.

“I would apologize, but you’ve known her long enough to know what to expect.”

“True.” He agreed, pulling the door open and motioning for her to go out before him. He paused when she passed him, watching her lightly make her way down the front steps, her carefully styled pony tail swinging and her leggings making her ass and legs look utterly mouthwatering.

“Don’t you dare pop a boner on my front porch.” Arya’s voice brought him out of his sight seeing and he turned to find her glaring at him from the living room.

“Don’t worry, kid.” He purposefully called her that because it annoyed her so much. “I’m firmly in control of what’s in my pants.”

“Good.” She propped her hands on her hips and advanced on him slowly and he had to admit, she was just a little terrifying. “Because the last guy she was with wasn’t. She deserves better than that again.”

“I’m nothing like Harry fucking Hardying.” He shot back, rankled at the comparison. “Besides, I’m not with your sister, anyway.”

Arya rolled her eyes with a snort. “Yeah, sure. Good luck with that, big guy.”

Before he could say anything else, Arya was heading back into the kitchen and Sansa was calling his name from his truck. He closed the front door and turned to find Sansa standing at the front of his truck with a confused little smile on her face.

“You coming?” she tipped her head towards his truck and Sandor nodded.

He wasn’t with her. Not in the way Arya had suggested, but damned if he didn’t want to be.

The ride to meet with Brienne was filled with playful arguing over if Nine Inch Nails or Queen was the better band. Sandor actually wasn’t a big fan of music in general, and he really didn’t have a preference between the bands, but it was always fun to rile her up and he knew how much she adored Freddie Mercury. It had been a surprise when he first found out. He assumed she would be more into the likes of Ed Sheeran or some other mainstream pop singer. He was coming to find out there was a lot about Sansa that surprised him.

The first place they stopped at was a townhouse. Even though Sansa was an attorney at legal aid and didn’t make much money, the trust fund from being a Stark child meant she had a hefty budget. Brienne had given him a bit of a glare when she saw him arrive with Sansa, but didn’t say anything to him. Instead she stood on the front stoop and gave Sansa a quick rundown of the place while Sandor did a once over on the façade and foundation to make sure nothing looked wonky. Inside everything looked nice, but as they walked from room to room, Sandor could feel the subfloor give and shift beneath his feet. There was also some pretty shitty electrical work done in the kitchen and some gaps in the corners of the shower stall, which was a prime spot for mold to grow.

“What do you think, Sandor?” Sansa asked after they’d done the walk through and Sandor told her everything that he noticed.

“I think it’s a shitty place with a surface job and the price they're asking isn’t worth the craftmanship.”

“The price is at market value.” Brienne argued and Sandor shrugged. He wasn’t going to argue with her on that.

“Look. I don’t much about the housing market, but I do know construction. And the construction on this is cheaply done and the electrical badly done.”

Sansa nodded, giving the place one last look before telling Brienne she wanted to see what else there was. They stopped at three more places. One detached house, and two different units at a condo. At each Sandor gave her his opinion on the place, and they went over the pros and cons of condo living together. Brienne watched with a suspicious look on her face as they talked before finally interrupting.

“Are you two planning on living together?” she asked, eye shifting between them.

“No.” Sansa giggled a little. “We’re just friends. Sandor knows a lot about construction so I wanted him to help me.”

“Not that it’s any of your damn business.” He grumbled and Brienne narrowed her eyes at him before looking back at Sansa.

“Does your mother know he’s helping you?” she asked. “I’m only asking because…”

“Because you work for her.” Sansa interjected. “And you’re a family friend and are concerned. I thank you for that, I do, but I’m an adult. My mother doesn’t have to know every detail of my life.”

Although he was proud of her for standing up for herself, Sandor couldn’t help but feel a little off put by her wording. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew Sansa’s parents would never boisterously approve of someone like him with their daughter. He was too old for her, his name not carrying enough weight. He had a criminal record and had done a stint in a mental institution. They’d rather her be with someone like Harry. Someone who looked good and whose name sounded good. Someone with a pretty polished exterior.

Look how that had worked out for Sansa.

What he didn’t like was the implication that Sansa was keeping him a secret. They weren’t even dating, just friends, and she felt like it was something that she had to keep from her family? He didn’t like the idea of being anyone’s dirty little secret.

Brienne easily let it go, and after a bit of discussion between the two women, Sansa signed the contract for the detached house since she wanted to bring her dog Lady with her and the condo wouldn’t allow animals. She could move in at the beginning of the month.

“I’m so excited.” Sansa bounced a little in her seat once they got back in his truck. “I can’t wait to move in and decorate.”

Sandor grunted, still deciding if he was mad or hurt or insulted. He wasn’t sure, but he did know that he didn’t feel good about what she’d said.

“Would you like to get something for lunch together?” she asked and Sandor glanced over to see her smiling sweetly at him. That ugly feeling lightened some.

“Sure.” He agreed, because he was a damned fool for her.

They were almost at the restaurant when Sansa’s phone rang. From where it sat on the seat between them, he noticed that the caller ID read Mom. Sansa quickly picked the phone up and answered it.

“Hi, Mom.” A pause where Catelyn was talking and Sandor couldn’t hear her. “Yes, I found the one I wanted. I already signed the contract. Brienne had everything ready and I can move in at the beginning of the month.”

Another pause.

“Oh.” She glanced over at Sandor and she fidgeted in her seat before looking out front again. “I actually already have lunch plans.”

Another pause.

“With a friend.” She cleared her throat. “We’re there actually, so I should go. We’ll catch lunch some other time. Love you.”

Ending the call, she put her phone in her purse as Sandor pulled the truck up into the parking lot. With that ugly, cold feeling settling in his stomach, he shut the engine off and got out without looking at her. Stuffing his keys in his pocket and trying not to get too upset, remembering all the calming techniques he’d learned, he made his way to the entrance without waiting for her. He only stopped when he got the door opened and a moment later Sansa slipped past him through the open door with a whispered ‘thank you’.

Lunch was tense and awkward. More awkward than it had ever been between them. Sandor really tried to put it behind him, but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn’t. When the waiter brought by the ticket, he didn’t even feel like putting up an argument when she said she wanted to pay for her half.

It wasn’t until they were back in the truck that Sansa mentioned his change in behavior.

“Are you alright?” she asked gently once he’d started the truck.

“Yeah.” He said dispassionately, but then shook his head. If he was going to be able to manage his emotions, he needed to tell others how he was feeling and deal with it. “Actually, no.”

“What’s wrong?”

Sandor huffed in irritation that she had no idea that her words had hurt him. Like he should have just expected to be seen as someone to keep hidden from her perfect fucking family.

“Well, lets see.” He shot her a quick glare before looking back at the road. “I’m probably considered too old for you. I’m not the picture-perfect fucking Ken doll that looks good in family photos. My face is half gone. I have a criminal record as well as a history of mental health issues. I don’t have a fancy job title or prominent last name. The company does well, but I’m not rolling in millions. There’s probably another handful of things that keep you from wanting me to be anything other than just a hidden secret. Anything else I’m missing that’s wrong with me that you can’t even tell your damn mother that you ate lunch with me?”

“Sandor, I…”

“Spare me.” He cut her off, not wanting to hear it right now. “I get what you were saying now. About the princess thing. You just want the world to see you as one. People like me, that would take away from that, aren’t meant for the public.”

“That’s not true!” she emphatically denied. “That isn’t what I meant at all.”

“Sure, girl.” He lifted his shoulder, trying to make it seem like he didn’t really care. He swallowed down all the hurt that it caused, and focused on driving.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered after a few moments of silence. “I didn’t mean to make you feel that way.”

Sandor sighed, shoulder slumping a little. He knew she didn’t mean it. Sansa was too damn kind for her own good. She didn’t purposefully say those things to hurt him or to belittle him.

“I know. Doesn’t change that it’s true, though, does it?”

“No, it’s not true. None of that is true.”

Shaking his head, he pulled the truck into the long drive that lead to Arya’s cabin. “You might not want it to be true, but when it comes down to it, you want your parent’s approval. The worlds approval. And I’m not something they’ll ever approve of. Not even as just your friend.”

“Sandor…”

“Look, little bird,” he finally looked over at her and her big eyes were shimmering and he dropped his eyes to look at her chin instead. “It is what it is. Give me a call whenever you need help moving and I’ll be there.”

Her mouth opened, and Sandor waited, wondering what she could possibly say. Half him hoped she’d just leave, and the other hoped to hell she’d argue with him. That she’d fight him; fight for him. Instead, she closed her mouth and gave a little nod. With a softly said goodbye, she slipped out of his truck and Sandor watched her walk up to the front door. Before she stepped inside, she looked back at him and Sandor wanted to kick himself. Because it became evident to him in that moment, that he’d be whatever she wanted him to be. Just her friend that helped her out occasionally, or if she wanted him to be her dirty little secret, he’d be that too. Dignity be damned.


	5. Chapter 5

Several minutes after Sandor’s truck drove away, Sansa was still standing at the front windows, watching as the dust settled from his tires. She’d really put her foot in it, and she hadn’t even meant to. Which somehow made it worse, that she’d made such a blunder so unconsciously.

“Staring isn’t going to make him come back.” Arya’s voice snapped her out of it, and Sansa turned around to find her sister sprawled on the recliner, both legs dangling over one arm and a water glass resting on her stomach. When she saw Sansa’s face her smirk faded and she sat upright in the chair.

“What’s up?”

“I’m an idiot.” Sansa laughed humorlessly, then pressed the tips of her fingers to her lips.

Arya nodded, sitting her water on the floor by her feet. “Him, or you?”

“Me.” Sansa shook her head. “Mom called when I was with him and…” again, she shook her head, but Arya got it apparently.

“I know you know him, but you probably didn’t realize that he’s actually a sensitive little boy when it comes down to a lot of things.”

“I hurt his feelings. That doesn’t make him a little boy. It makes him human.”

“Well, if you’re good at anything, it’s getting people to adore you. I’m sure if you just talk to him, he’ll forgive you.”

Sansa nodded, knowing she was right. It was just figuring out what to say, and actually showing him that she truly didn’t mean it and that those things he said weren’t true. Going to her bedroom, she pulled out her phone and quickly pulled up their messages.

_I’m so sorry for making you think those things. You’re wrong, though. They aren’t true. I’m so sorry I led you to believe they were. Please forgive me. And thank you so much for coming with me today -SS_

It was another half hour before he text her back, and Sansa spent that time frantically packing non-essentials back into their boxes and budging in on Gendry in the hallway to help paint baseboards. She was one her knees doing just that when his message finally came in.

_Don’t worry about it. You’re welcome. -SC_

But of course, she was worried about it. The thought that she hurt him, however unintentionally it was, hurt her. And it also made her take a good long look at herself. She didn’t want to be that superficial person, but what he’d said wasn’t entirely off base. Walking around with Harry, bringing him to her family gatherings or important events, made her feel good because they looked good. She liked the positive feedback her parents gave her, and the adoration she got from others. And it was the disapproval she knew her mother would have that made her give such a vague answer to who she was with earlier. But she didn’t want that. She didn’t want to have someone as important to her as Sandor being a secret. He was worth so much more than that. Saying she was sorry, telling him that those things weren’t true, wasn’t good enough. She needed to show him just how untrue it was.

“Hey, Gendry?” she looked on the other side of the doorframe where Gendry was on a step stool painting the wall.

“Yeah?” he asked without looking at her.

“When is the next time you’re going out with the guys from work?” Since Gendry worked at Sandor’s construction company, they all went out at least once a week for drinks after work.

“Uh…” he paused in his painting to think. “Tomorrows Monday, so in two days? We usually meet up on Wednesdays. Why?” he went back to painting.

“Would you mind it very much if Arya and I came along?” she peeked up at him as he looked down with a curious expression.

“No. Not at all. Arya normally comes anyway. Why, though?” he lifted a brow. “Is this about Sandor?”

Sansa turned back to the baseboard she was painting. “Yes. It is. I need to make something up to him.”

“Right.” Gendry grinned, then went back to painting as well. “Okay. So, seven o’clock at The Wall. I’ll buy you a shot if you can make him blush.”

Sansa gave a little laugh, but she hoped to do so much more than make him blush.

Wednesday took forever to arrive, but it eventually did and Sansa hurried back to the cabin as soon as she got off work, which wasn’t until 6:30. By the time she changed her clothes, fixed her hair and makeup, it was well after seven by the time she got to the bar. Jon owned the bar, and after a few texts between the two of them, he promised that he’d have Robb and Theon there. Another few texts assured her that Mya and Lothor would be there as well with Myranda in tow, and that Brienne would also come. That took care of all her closest friends, and other than her still underage brothers and parents, her family members who counted.

Stepping into the bar, she gave a quick glance around. Since it was a weeknight, there wasn’t a huge crowed. She easily saw that everyone that needed to be there was already here. Including Sandor. He was standing at the bar, his side to her, talking with Jon. Just two stools over was Robb and Theon. The rest were scattered around the few tables set up near the bar top. Arya caught her eye from where she was sitting next to Gendry. She gave her an encouraging half smile, then tipped her head in Sandor’s direction. Sansa took a deep breath, rubbed her sweaty palms on the sides of her dress and then started in his direction. Jon saw her coming first, his eyes sliding away from Sandor to land on her. He smiled in her direction, which made Sandor turn to look at her as well. Her stomach fluttered at the way his eyes tracked down, and then up her body before his eyes locked onto hers. She smiled as brightly as she could, bypassing her brother and his best friend, even when Robb tried to grab her attention.

“Hi.” She breathed when she reached him. He gave her a curious look, glancing back at Robb before looking back at her.

“Hey.”

“Hello.” Jon said awkwardly and Sansa finally tore her eyes away from Sandor to look at him.

“Hi, Jonny. Can I get a lemon drop, and get Sandor two fingers of Bells.” She looked back at Sandor. “On me.”

Jon gave a nod, and then went off to make their drinks.

“You don’t need to buy me a drink to apologize.” Sandor said once he was gone.

“That wasn’t to apologize. I already apologized, and I will again if you want me to, but I’d rather show you just how much you were wrong.”

Looking rather intrigued, Sandor turned his body to face her, leaning an elbow on the bar so that he was closer to her height.

“What’d you have in mind?”

Taking a deep breath again, Sansa licked her lips and took a step closer to him so that they were far closer than proper etiquette dictated. Sandor took a sharp breath in, eyes nervously glancing back behind her where everyone else was. But she didn’t think about them. They didn’t matter right now.

“Can I kiss you?” she asked softly and Sandor’s eyes snapped back to hers, wide with shock.

“Right now?” he huffed a laugh, motioning behind her with the arm that wasn’t bracing him up against the bar. “All your friends are here. And your brother.”

“And my sister, and my cousin.” She agreed. “I don’t care. I want to kiss you.”

His eyes narrowed a little, but flicked down to her mouth. “Why?”

“Because I like you.” She placed her hand on his cheek, bringing his gaze back to hers. “And I would like everyone to know just how much I do.”

His eyes went from narrow to hooded, and his tongue came out to wet his lips quickly. She watched his throat work around a swallow, and then he nodded. She smiled a little, then crowded right up against him, letting her hand on his cheek slide around to the back of his neck where she tugged him down as she leaned up. Their lips brushed together at first and Sansa couldn’t help but giggle softly at the sheer joy she felt. Brushing her nose against the side of his for a moment, feeling his breath catch against her mouth, she brought her other hand up to his shoulder and pressed her lips more firmly against his.

That’s all the encouragement Sandor seemed to need. An arm came around her waist and the other hand cupped the back of her head as he deepened the kiss, angling her head so that they fit better together. She let out a sigh at the same time he sucked in a breath and then his tongue was in her mouth and there was nothing hesitant about it. She hugged him tighter, everything around them falling away for those brief moments.

Eventually they pulled away from each other, and Sansa kept her eyes closed for a second, a smile on her lips as his hand slid from the back of her head to the base of her neck.

“Uh, your drinks.” Jon’s voice intruded on her moment of bliss and Sansa blinked her eyes open to first stare up at Sandor where he was looking down at her. Then she laughed softly, pulling away enough to keep his arm around her waist and still turn to face Jon.

“Thank you.” She grabbed the Bells and handed it to Sandor before picking up her own drink and taking a sip. She knew her face was blushing, but when she glanced back up at Sandor, she could see that his unscarred cheek was flushed as well. He grinned when he caught her looking at him, taking a drink of his scotch.  

“You ready to face the music now?” he asked and Sansa sighed. It was inevitable, she supposed. They couldn’t just stay in their own little bubble forever.

“As long as you’re beside me.” She looked up at him hopefully and he grinned, catching her free hand in his and bringing it up to press a kiss against her knuckles. Feeling fortified and so very, very happy, she threaded their fingers together and turned to start walking to the table where most of their friends were. Robb was staring at them, looking more shocked and amused than angry.

“You and the Hound, huh?” Theon asked and Sansa rolled her eyes. Robb elbowed his friend.

“How long has this been…?” Robb motioned between them with his beer bottle.

Sandor made a show of looking at his watch. “’Bout five minutes.”

Robb chuckled, then tipped his beer towards Sansa. “Good luck with Mom and Dad when you tell them. Maybe don’t make out in front of them to let them know. I don’t know if that’ll go over very well.”

“Thanks for the tip.” Sansa gave her brothers hair a ruffle. “See you.”

There weren’t any more questions from their table of friends. Just a few curious glances, a not so subtle thumbs up from Mya, and some suspicious looks from Brienne. Later Sansa would assure her that everything was alright, and that she was happy. Brienne was just so very protective of them. She honestly appreciated the concern, even if there wasn’t any needed. Sansa stopped after her one drink, and the shot that Gendry had slyly slid across to her at one point. Even without the warmth of drink, she was flushed the entire night. Under the table, Sandor’s hand was on her thigh. As they chatted and laughed with the rest of the people at the table, he would drag his fingers from her exposed knee, up over the cotton of her dress skirt until he reached her mid-thigh, and then back down. Occasionally he would draw patterns on the skin just to the side of her knee and she’d have to bite her bottom lip against a shiver, goosebumps breaking out across her body.

“About what Robb said.” Sandor said once the rest of the table was engaged in a conversation, low enough that only she could hear him. She looked up at him, sitting so close to his side that she had to tip her head back a little.

“What of it?” she wrapped her arm through his, letting her fingers trail up and down the inside of his forearm.

He swallowed and she could feel the muscle beneath his skin tighten. “What do you want from me?”

“This.” She said simply. “More kissing, like earlier. I want you to keep being my friend, and eventually my lover. I want to show you off to all my friends, all of my co-workers, to my family, and the entire world. I want you to be mine, and only mine. And I want to be solely yours. If you’d like all those things too, of course.”

Sandor reached out with the arm opposite her, pressing his thumb gently to the middle of her bottom lip, and then letting it run down to the tip of her chin.

“Of course.” He repeated, a small smile on his lips. Sansa smiled back, leaning in to kiss him sweetly on the lips. He kissed her back, letting his hand fall from her chin when she pulled back.

“Come home with me.” He rasped, grey eyes full of heat and want and Sansa felt her belly draw up tightly.

“I want to.” She whispered. “But…maybe we should slow down a little.”

His one brow lifted. “Always the proper lady.”

Sansa smiled, relieved that he was teasing her and was ok with waiting. “When it comes to this, yes. No going home with each other until the third date.”

“Does the movie counts as the first?” He asked, the hand on her leg shifting ever so slightly under the skirt of her dress.

“Sure.” She said shakily. Gods, she wanted this man. Wanted him so much it had her aching. “And lunch the other day can be date two. Which makes this date three.” She smiled widely when there was a rumble of desire in his chest. “So, I suppose I can still maintain my status as proper lady and still go home with you tonight.”

“You just talked yourself right into it, didn’t you?”

“I did.” She giggled. “But I want you so much.”

The smirk on his face slid off and he drew his hand up even higher, this time under her skirt. She sucked in a breath when his warm palm cupped her inner thigh.

“We can wait. If you wanna wait, we can wait.”

“Do you want to wait?” she asked, leaning into him and widening her legs almost unconsciously so that his hand could move even higher.

“Fuck, no.” he growled, his pinky finger grazing along the gusset of her panties. Sansa’s eyes fluttered closed at the barely there touch and Sandor hissed. “Gods, already so warm.”

And wet, too, but maybe he couldn’t feel that just yet.

“Can we go now?” she whispered, squeezing her thighs together to trap his hand when he started to slide back down. Instead of answering, Sandor abruptly stood, grabbing her hand as he did so. She stood up with him, only mildly embarrassed that the entire table all looked up at them and their abrupt move.

“We’re going.” Sandor rasped, and then started tugging her towards the door. She peeked behind her shoulder and waved at everyone apologetically.

“Did you drive?” Sandor asked once they stepped outside.

“Yeah.” She pointed to her car. “And I work tomorrow, so I should drive so I can go back home tonight.”

Sandor nodded, but then started shaking his head. “Go back to Arya’s. You can get what you need for tomorrow and stay the night.”

Sansa looked at him in surprise. “You want me to stay the night?”

“I’d rather not fuck you and then you leave.” He shrugged. “Unless you want to.”

Sansa shook her head with a smile, going up on tiptoe to kiss him. “I’ll be at your house in about half an hour.”

Sandor caught the back of her head and brought her in for a more thorough kiss. “Hurry.” He nipped her bottom lip, and then gave her a gentle shove towards her car before heading to his truck. Dizzy with want, Sansa hurried to her car and had to keep reminding herself not to speed or run any red lights. Sex was not worth breaking the law for. But it was so, so tempting.

Leaving her car running in the driveway, Sansa ran into the cabin and quickly packed a bag with her toothbrush, makeup kit, birth control pill, clothes for work tomorrow, and even snagged a few condoms from the bathroom medicine cabinet just in case Sandor didn’t have any. Then she changed out of her dress, made sure her legs were smooth, and put on her favorite pair of pale-yellow lace panties with the bra that matched. White with an adorable lemon print. Throwing on a t shirt and yoga pants, Sansa grabbed her bag and headed out the door after sending a text to Arya telling her that she wouldn’t be home until tomorrow evening.

Tonight she was going have what she hoped would be the best night of her life.


	6. Chapter 6

 When Sandor got to his house, he hurried inside and quickly went through each room, making sure nothing was in too big a mess. He was a particularly clean guy, so the only things he had to do were pick up a few dirty clothes on the bathroom floor and put his dinner dishes into the dishwasher. His bed was made, all crisp lines and sharp corners thanks to his years in the military, but he grabbed each of the pillows to make sure they smelled clean. All he could smell was his body wash, and Sansa had drunkenly told him that one night that he smelled good, so he took that as a win. With nothing else to do, he went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth, wiped down the toilet lid, and then paced in his living room.

Sansa Stark. Out of his league, utterly gorgeous, painfully sweet, and breathtakingly smart Sansa Stark was on her way to his house. To stay the night. With him. They’d made out in a bar in front of her brothers and sister and most of her friends. He’d felt her up under a table, and she _let_ him. When she got there, they were probably going to make out again. She’d probably let him feel her up some more, and the gods willing, they might actually have sex.

Sex. Full blown, naked, writhing against each other, panting and moaning sex. With Sansa fucking Stark.

Taking a deep breath, Sandor braced his hands on the back of his sofa and tried to get himself under control. He’d been in therapy for a few years now since being an inpatient. He was doing good, had things under control and the meds worked out to where they worked best for him. In the beginning of starting to take them, he had a hard time getting an erection. Doc said it was normal, but it made Sandor feel…broken. For fear of not being able to get it up, he’d stopped picking up girls. He hadn’t actually had sex in maybe a year and a half. He could get himself off easy enough, but the added anxiety of preforming for someone else might make it more difficult. Especially since that someone was Sansa instead of just some nameless woman he’d picked up and never see again.

His initial thought was to make a drink, but that wouldn’t help anything. Instead, he worked through some breathing techniques and tried to picture the best outcome instead of the worst, like Dr. B had told him. It seemed to work and by the time a soft knock came to his front door, he felt in control of himself.

“Hi.” Sansa greeted him with a shy smile, a blush on her cheeks and a duffle bag slung over her shoulder. Reaching for the bag, he took it from her and motioned for her to come in.

“You want something to drink?” he asked, setting the bag on the sofa. “Or have you eaten dinner yet?”

“I’ve ate already.” She assured him and Sandor took a moment to appreciate the sight of her in such casual clothing. She’d obviously changed when she went to Arya’s, and he liked this dressed down version of her just as much as he liked the dressed-up version.

“Look,” he scratched at the back of his head nervously. “When you apologized to me, I should have apologized too. I said some real shitty things to you, and I didn’t mean any of them. I was just…” he hesitated, looking for the right word.

“Hurt?” Sansa offered, moving closer to him where they stood in front of the sofa. He swallowed, and nodded, because yeah. He had been hurt. “I know. And you’re forgiven.”

That was an unusual thing for him, to be forgiven with such grace. But, that was Sansa. He told himself that he deserved to be forgiven just as much as she did, and since she so willingly forgave him, he wouldn’t cling to it like he would have done a few years ago. Having so much self loathing and bitterness was exhausting work and he was done with it. So, he gave her a half smile of thanks, taking her hand when she extended it towards him, and tugged her into him. Kissing her seemed like the easiest thing in the world, so he did. Without hesitation, she kissed him back, wrapping an arm around his waist and letting go of his hand so she could hold onto the back of his neck. They stood like that for whatever amount of time, kissing until they were both panting and Sandor was unsure if he’d rather pass out from lack of oxygen or continue tasting her. But she was clutching him tighter, her hips shifting restlessly against him and he figured they should probably take this to the bedroom. Detangling his fingers from her hair, he cupped her hips in both hands, pulling his lips away from hers enough to speak.

“Jump.”

Sansa blinked, clearly confused, but Sandor did wait. Instead, he lifted her off her feet by her hips and she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist. She giggled in delight, looping both arms around his neck.

“You didn’t need me to jump.” She said, dropping kisses along his cheek and nose, not shying away from his scars.

“Would have made it easier.” He caught her roving mouth, kissing her deeply as he started towards his bedroom. Then he gave her bottom a teasing pinch and she yelped before laughing and swatting at his shoulder.

“Devil man.” She whispered and Sandor hummed his agreement. When he stepped into his room, he used his shoulder to switch the light on, and then carried her to the bed where he crawled on without letting her go, then lowered them both onto the mattress.

“Tell me now how far you want to go, little bird.” He moved his mouth down to kiss her jawline.

She grabbed him by the jaw, pulling his face up and away from her so she could look at him. She smiled, lips a bit red and cheeks even more so.

“However far you’re willing to take me.” With her legs swill tangled around his waist, she canted her hips into his, grinding against him slowly. It was then he realized what he’d been afraid of. As much as he wanted her, as much as he was shaking with desire, his cock wasn’t cooperating. She must have felt it, and opened her mouth to say something, but Sandor kissed her before she could, slipping a hand under her shirt to smooth across her belly. Her legs dropped down from him and he used the new freedom to sit upright and tug her along with him. When she was sitting up, he started pulling her shirt off and she quickly helped, yanking it off over her head and tossing it to the floor before flopping back onto the bed. For a moment, Sandor forgot about his erection issues, and chuckled at the sight of her bra. It incased her breasts deliciously, but it was the lemon print that struck him as funny. She smiled back at him, but it quickly faded with a moan when he cupped both her breasts over the bra, giving them a firm squeeze each.

“Little bird and her lemons.” He taunted, then leaned down to kiss at the cleavage revealed by the bra. She hummed a sort of agreement, back arching into his mouth. He sucked at the swell of one while gently tugging the cup of the other off. The noise she made when his tongue swiped over her now exposed nipple would likely stay with him for the rest of his life and he set about getting her to make that noise again and again. When her bra was finally discarded, her breasts swallowed up in his hands, Sandor licked his way down her torso until he reached the band of her yoga pants. Using his nose, he nudged between her thighs, inhaling her scent and his eyes rolled back. She already felt so damn warm and he couldn’t wait to get to the source of all that heat. When he sat up to pull her pants off, she sat up as well, shimmying her hips to help him and kicking both the pants and her adorable yellow panties off. But instead of laying back down, she shifted to her knees in front of him and pulled him into a mind-numbing kiss. Then she was tugging his shirt up and off and actually moaning out loud when her bare skin was flush against his.

“Gods, you’re gorgeous.” She whispered, hands roaming the expanse of his back while she nuzzled her face into his chest. “You feel so good.”

“I can make you feel even better.” He grasped her chin and tilted her face up to his. “Lay back and let me make you feel good.”

“I want you to feel good, too.” She grinned, and her hand cupped him through his jeans. It wasn’t that it didn’t feel good, because even that did, but he didn’t want to get too frustrated with his inability to get hard right now.

Fucking meds.

Her eyes turned worried as her grin slipped off and Sandor gently took her wrist and pulled her hand away from him.

“I’m on a lot of meds, Sansa.” He explained. “Sometimes they make it hard to, uh, get hard. It’s not you, I swear. I want you so fucking bad, girl, I do. Believe that.”

She smiled sweetly, arms coming to loop around his neck again. “I do.” She kissed him sweetly. “And I don’t mind. Truly. We don’t have to do anything.”

“Oh, no.” he shook his head, gently urging her back to the mattress. “My dick may not be on the same page as me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make it good for you.”

For a moment, she looked like she might try and argue, but Sandor slipped a hand between her thighs and cupped her cunt. She gasped, hips automatically pressing into the touch. He grinned when he felt how wet she was and easily parted her folds, sliding his first two fingers through her heat until he found her clit. She was already swollen and he circled her for a while, occasionally sliding down to her entrance to gather up more wetness and used it to paint her with it. Her smell was all around them, and he couldn’t get enough of it. Couldn’t get enough of the feel of her, of the look of her face and her completely naked body writhing underneath him. He wanted to keep watching her, seeing her flush deepen and spread and her eyes become darker, but he also wanted to eat her out.

Using his free hand, he shifted her legs further apart and knelt down between them. First he kissed her stomach, teasing at her belly button, before moving down to lick across the sharp points of her hip bones.

“Sandor.” Her voice was shaky and he looked up the length of her body without removing his mouth from her skin. She was holding her head up off the bed to look down at him, and she looked torn between embarrassment and want. “You don’t have to.”

“Good thing I want to then, huh?” he teased, using the moment to gently push his middle finger inside of her. She gasped, eyes going wide before blinking a few times. “Unless you don’t want me to.”

“I’ve never…no one as ever…”

And that just made him want it all the more, knowing he could be her first at something.

“Let me try.” He kissed her mound. “If you don’t like it, I’ll stop.”

When she nodded and laid her head back down, Sandor turned back to the task at hand. Using his free hand, he parted her folds and groaned at just the look of her, all swollen and pink and wet. Starting from where his finger was still inside her, he licked up to her curls, grinning when she whined and her hips chased his tongue. After doing that a few more times, he focused more on where he knew she really wanted him. His jaw was starting to ache and his tongue was getting tired from all the laps he was licking around her clit, but he wanted her to come on his face, needed her to give it up to him like that. So, he doubled down, pressed another finger inside of her and curled them forward while he suctioned his lips around her clit and rapidly flicked his tongue against it. Her hands flew to the back of his head, fingers pulling at his hair until it stung, and she shamelessly ground herself against his face. Sandor did his best to stay with her, trying not to change up anything he was doing, and soon she was crying out his name, a rush of moisture coating his fingers and his palm. Her thighs shook around his head, her belly quivered under the hand he had placed there, and then she made a choked sob and went completely limp, tugging his head away from her cunt.

Sitting up on his knees, Sandor wiped his hand on the leg of his jeans and his mouth off with his other hand. Not that it mattered, he could still smell her, could still taste her when he licked his lips. But, hell, he wasn’t about to complain about something like that. When Sansa managed to blink her eyes open, she smiled up at him and reached for him with her arms. He shifted to her side and crawled up next to her and chuckled when she immediately wrapped herself around him.   

“Is this okay?” she peeked up at him and Sandor nodded, dropping a kiss to her forehead. She smiled happily, burying her face in his neck again. With her leg kicked over his hip, he could feel the wet heat of her soaking through his jeans and he cursed his cock once again.

“I need to use the bathroom.” She mumbled sleepily and then lifted her head again to look at him. “Are you sure there is nothing I can do for you?”

“No.” he shook his head and ground his teeth together. “I’m sorry I can’t.”

“Don’t be silly.” She kissed his nose and then his cheek. “I don’t mind, truly. You made me feel amazing and just being wrapped up against you feels so good, too.”

Something inside Sandor relaxed at the earnest honestly in her voice. She really didn’t mind. He didn’t feel any pressure at all, and that actually helped him a lot. Not enough to get hard right at the moment, but he knew with her gentle encouragement and acceptance they’d be able to be together soon.

They snuggled for a bit longer, which was completely foreign grounds for Sandor since he’d never once snuggled with anything or anyone in his life. Then they took turns using the restroom and Sandor took his jeans off, leaving his boxer briefs on, and crawled into bed to wait for her. When she came back into the room, naked as her names day and clearly at ease with it, Sandor enjoyed watching her find his discarded shirt and pull it on before climbing in next to him.

It was something else foreign to him. Sleeping with a woman. Sansa didn’t crowd him, but he still found himself curling up around her back and holding her to him. He caught her happy sigh and smiled to himself.

The girl he was holding might not be a perfect little princess, but she was one hell of a woman. And he had every fucking intention of showing her that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, I touch a little on Sandor's mental health problems and the side effects of the medication he takes for them. Everyone reacts differently to meds, but it's a common problem with behavioral meds for men and women both to have a decrease in sex drive. In many men's cases, that's an inability to get an erection. Added anxiety and pressure to preform can make it even more difficult. I thought it would be fitting to Sandor's character that he would have these issues. But, don't worry, it's something I'm sure the two of them can work out together.


	7. Chapter 7

It was comfortable waking up, and Sansa had a brief flash of the first time she’d woken up in this bed, surrounded by the worn warmth of the blankets and the scent of Sandor. This time, it wasn’t just the blankets that surrounded her and the scent was coming from Sandor himself instead of just the pillows. Sighing, she left her eyes closed and snuggled in closer. Sandor was laying on his back, while Sansa was laying on her side facing him. He had one arm underneath her neck and wrapped around her shoulders, holding her to him. His other arm was thrown up over his head. Sansa tucked her arm around his waist, loving the feel of his warm, naked skin under her arm, the thick hair there tickling her.

It didn’t matter to her that he had trouble getting an erection last night. She understood. In the past, she’d been on some meds for anxiety and depression and knew the side effects, and that wasn’t taking into account how much more he was taking than she ever had. She honestly believed him when he said he wanted her, she knew he did. They would get there, eventually. And this, just this, laying with him and feeling his much larger and stronger body against hers, was pleasure enough.

Still sleeping, Sandor took a deep breath, muscles shifting and rippling beneath his skin as he rolled a little towards her, the arm that had been above his head coming down to lay his palm flat against the thigh she had slightly raised up over his hip. Her skin immediately warmed under his hand and she opened her eyes just as he let out a happy sound in his throat, the hand on her thigh tightening and sliding down towards her bum before sliding back to her knee. Humming again, he turned further onto his side towards her, using the arm under her neck to pull her closer to him as he tugged her leg further up over his waist.

Sansa gasped when she felt him, hot and hard, slide against her thigh. She felt a surge of desire rush through her, but also a tinge of guilt that he was asleep and unaware of what he was doing as he canted his hips against her so that he rubbed against her sensitive skin.

“Sandor.” She whispered his name shakily. Pulling her arm out from underneath her, she pressed her hand against his chest and placed her other hand on the hand he had on her leg. Instead of opening his eyes or waking up fully, he let out a groan and pressed further into her, letting his hand run up her leg so he could cup her bottom. With a sharp intake of air, Sansa unconsciously thrust her hips into him.

“Sandor,” she ran her hand up his chest to touch his cheek. “Sandor, wake up.”

Finally, his eyes fluttered opened and focused on her. His body froze for a second, eyes darting from her lips to her eyes and back again. Then he seemed to realize their current position, and his current state, and his breath shuddered out, the hand on her bottom tightening. Sansa rolled her hips against him, using the leg she had over his hips to pull him further into the cradle of her hips so that his hard on was pressed up against her pelvic bone. His eyes widened and Sansa smiled.

“Yeah?” he asked unevenly. Sansa nodded her head a bit frantically, cupping the back of his head and tugging his lips to hers.

After that, it was a bit frantic. Their kiss was on the verge of sloppy, hands just this side of rough as they touched and rubbed and tugged on each other until Sandor’s hand was between her thighs, fingers rubbing frantically against her already wet and throbbing center. Her hand was on his cock, squeezing and rolling his still achingly hard flesh between her fingers.

“In you.” He jerked his mouth away from her lips, leaving her panting for breath. “Gods, Sansa, let me inside you.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” She moaned when his fingers slipped inside of her. Using her leg around his hips as leverage, she pulled herself into his lap while pressing him onto his back. Sandor let out a rough, whispered curse, hands automatically grasping her hips and squeezing as she rolled against him. She did that a few times, letting his hardness slide through her wetness until they were both on the verge of something more. Lifting up on shaking knees, she grasped his cock and positioned him at her entrance, then slowly lowered herself onto him.

“Oh, fuck.” Sandor cursed, head pressing back into the pillows as his eyes squeezed shut. “Don’t move.” He held her hips tightly, not letting her even if she wanted to.

Sansa was just there, just a roll of her hips and some pressure on her clit away from flying apart. But he didn’t want her moving, and she knew it was because he was holding on by his fingertips. Instead of moving her hips, she flattened her hands against his chest, sliding them down his pecs and stomach to where her thighs were pressed to his sides. Sandor opened his eyes, looked back up at her, and Sansa held his gaze while she let her own hands graze up her thighs, over her hips, across her stomach and to her breasts. Cupping one in her left hand and massaging the aching flesh, she grabbed his hand from her hip and placed it on her other breast. He got the picture quickly enough, knocking her other hand out of the way so he was holding both breasts in his hands. While he paid them attention, rolling her nipples and pinching lightly, she dropped her right hand between her thighs. Sandor’s eyes flicked down to where she was touching herself, the hardness inside of her flexing as his unburnt cheek flushed darkly.

Sansa let her fingertips trail over where they were connected, coating her fingers in her wetness before slipping back to her throbbing clit. Bracing her free hand on his thigh and arching her back, Sansa rolled her clit between her fingers, letting out a moan before forcing her eyes open to look back at him. It seemed like he couldn’t figure out where to look; at her fingers getting herself off, or at her face. It was when those intense grey eyes locked on hers, fingers twisting her nipples just right, that she came. She tried to hold his gaze, but the pleasure forced her eyes shut and her head was thrown back with a cry of release. When she was able to look back down at him, his hand had left her breasts to grasp her hips and he was thrusting up into her, prolonging the pleasure that was still coursing through her. Her arms were weak and shaky, so she collapsed forward, trying to brace herself against his chest as his thrusts lifted into her.

“I’m going to come, Sansa.” He rasped between gritted teeth.

“Yes, please.” She cried out shakily, wanting nothing more than to see him fall apart.

“I’m not wearing a condom.” He reminded her, but his hips showed no sign of slowing down as he worked himself into her and, frankly, Sansa didn’t want them to. It felt too damn good.

“Pill.” She gasped. “Pill, you’re good.” She cupped his face in her hands and held his eyes with her own. “Come inside me.”

Sandor groaned, chest rumbling, hands tightening almost painfully against her hips as he slammed further into her and held, big body trembling underneath her.

Sansa was overwhelmed by seeing him fall apart. Unable to hold herself up anymore, she collapsed onto his chest and Sandor wrapped his arms around her, holding her while they both tried to catch their breath.

Eventually, Sandor rolled to his side so that he slipped out of her, but still kept her loosely in the circle of his arms.

“Sandor.” Sansa whispered his name, hands coming up to rub at the hair along his chest before nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck.

“Was…” he swallowed, and Sansa could feel the movement against her nose. “Was that okay? It happened…quickly.”

Sansa pulled away so she could look at him, smiling at him softly. “That was wonderful.”

Sandor snorted, then his face grew serious, eyes warm as he leaned in to nip at her bottom lip. “You are fucking sexy as hell, girl. You know that?”

“I try.” She giggled.

“I didn’t know good girls touched themselves like that.” He rasped, rough hands sliding down to squeeze her bottom again.

Sansa flushed deeply, but still managed a grin. “I told you, sir. I’m no princess.”

“Mm.” Sandor rubbed his lips along her jawline. “You’re a princess, believe that. Just a princess that likes a good fucking.”

“Hush.” She pushed on his shoulder. “I don’t like it being called that. It makes it sound so…meaningless.”

“Call it what you will, then.” He grasped her chin to hold her gaze. “It was far from meaningless.”

Smiling widely, Sansa tugged him in for a quick kiss before excusing herself to take a quick shower. She still had to get to work, even if all she wanted to do was stay in bed with him. By the time she got out, she found Sandor in the kitchen with a plate of toast and scrambled eggs for her. Made all the better because it was served to her by Sandor Clegane wearing nothing but boxer shorts.

“Don’t you have to work?” Sansa asked as she ate, sitting at the breakfast bar while Sandor stood across from her with his own plate.

“I’m the boss.” He shrugged. “I go to work when I want.” He grinned and Sansa shook her head.

“That doesn’t sound like very good work ethic.” She taunted.

“I’m normally the first person on site.” He shrugged. “Some things are worth staying home for.” He shot her a wink and Sansa erupted into giggles, more at the unexpectedness of a man like Sandor Clegane winking.

“I’m flattered.”

“Besides, I have a safety meeting at nine. I don’t have to be in until then.”

Sansa finished off her toast and downed the last of her orange juice. “Way to make a girl feel special.”

“It’s what I do.” He shrugged, but took her empty plate and sat it in the sink while Sansa got up to slip her heels on and grab her bag.

“I really need to get going.” She turned back to him as he came into the living room. “But thank you for breakfast. And last night.” She smiled through a blush. “And this morning.”

“Again, it’s what I do.” He taunted, tugging her in to a deep kiss.

“When can I see you again?” she asked when the kiss broke, then immediately started back peddling. “If, that is, if you want to, of course.”

“Let me make something clear to you, little bird.” He crowded into her, cupping her chin and tilting her face up to his. “I want you. All of you. Every single damn thing you’re willing to give me.”

“All of it.” She answered easily, a smile spreading across her face. “All of it.”

“Good.” He skimmed her lips with his thumb and then pulled away. “Now, get to work.”

With another kiss, and a playful pinch on her ass, Sansa was out the front door and on her way to work. Her usually long and arduous day was made better by the memories she kept replaying to herself, and the text she got at lunch time asking if she wanted to do dinner with him Saturday evening.

It felt like the beginning of a very good thing.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something short and sweet to wrap up this little story. Thank you everyone for reading and commenting and always being so supportive of my work.

Epilogue 

Every year in the summer, Ned and Catelyn Stark held a pool party during the one month of the year when it was warm enough to actually swim. The pool had been built shortly after the house was bought, something to make Sansa’s mother feel more at home in this freezing climate when she was used to a warmer one and her family swam like fishes. It was always a big event. All the siblings and their current significant others and friends attended. A few other families that the Starks were close with would come and bring some dish of utterly delicious food and they would all eat and drink and splash about while catching up and chatting.

This year would be no different. Robb and Jeyne were there, this year with little Eddy in tow. Jon had come down with his long-term girlfriend, Val. Arya and Gendry had brought along their friends Lommy and Hotpie. Bran and Jojen would be sitting poolside playing chess for the rest of the day, and Rickon was currently chasing Shireen around the pool, threatening to throw her in when she didn’t want to get her hair wet. Theon was sitting with Robb and Jeyne, probably complaining about the lack of single females at the party. Ned was manning the outdoor kitchen with Jon Umber and Jory while Catelyn was sitting at a table with some of her friends from the Riverlands while keeping an eye on the children in the pool.

Sansa stood at the open patio doors with Sandor beside her. They were the last to arrive, since Sansa was finishing up on some files for a case she’d just closed. Peeking up at Sandor, she saw that he was looking out at the crowd with an anxious tightness around his mouth.

“It’ll be fine.” She took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“They’re not going to approve.” Sandor countered, but squeezed her hand back before looking down at her.

“They will.” She smiled at him. “Eventually. Until then, we have each other.”

Sandor grinned back at her, the tension in his face easing some.

They’d been together now for a little over a month. A wonderful, pleasure filled, interesting month. She’d learned so much about him, and he had her, and even though there were bumps and imperfections, Sansa had never been happier in her entire life. Surely her family and those that really truly mattered would see that and be happy for her.  

With her fingers securely threaded through Sandor’s and the carrier of lemon bars in her other hand, she led Sandor out onto the expansive patio. Her mother, of course, was the first to notice their entrance. Her wide smile when she saw Sansa slowly faded as she took in her daughters’ hand and the man that was holding it. She excused herself from the table and met them at the table where all the food was laid out.

“Sansa, darling.” She kissed her cheek, then turned suddenly cold eyes on Sandor. “And who is this?”

“This is Sandor, mother.” Sansa sat the lemon cakes down and wrapped her free arm around his bicep. “I’ve told you about him.”

“Yes.” She murmured, still eyeing Sandor. “So you have. Hello, Sandor. I’m Catelyn.” She offered her hand, which Sandor took just as Ned joined them.

“You must be Sandor.” Ned offered his hand and Sandor switched from her mothers to her fathers.

“I am.” Sandor gave him a firm shake. “You must be Ned. It’s nice to finally meet both of you.”

“What was your last name again, Sandor?” her mother asked and Sansa suppressed an eye roll.

“Clegane.”

“Hm.” Her mother gave a thoughtful look. “I’m not sure I’ve heard of it.”

“You wouldn’t have.” Sandor said easily. “It doesn’t carry any sort of weight behind it.”

“Sandor is from the west, originally.” Sansa broke in. “He owns Stranger Construction. You’ve heard of that, haven’t you, Daddy?”

“I have, actually.” Ned agreed. “It’s a fairly new business, right?”

“I’ve been up and running now for ten years. Mostly residential construction, but we’ve been branching out into commercial jobs recently.”

“Ten years?” Cat asked in a surprised voice. “May I ask how old you are, Sandor?”

“Mother!” Sansa said warningly. “That’s not a very polite question.”

“It’s fine.” Sandor said gently, thumb soothing over her knuckles. “I’ll be forty at the end of this year.”

The look her mother shot her nearly made Sansa laugh, but instead she smiled sweetly. “Excuse us. I’m going to introduce Sandor to everyone.”

The rest of the afternoon went fairly well. Sandor got on well with both Robb and Jon and had impressed Bran with his skill at chess. He was utterly patient with Rickon’s bounding energy and had even wooed little Eddy enough that the chronically cranky baby let Sandor hold him for a while so Robb and Jeyne could eat. Theon, being Theon, had some jibes and taunts, but Sandor gave as good as he got and eventually it turned into more of a friendly mockery than anything else.

Now that it was later in the evening, the two of them were sitting together on the patio chaise watching the younger kids play a game of chicken in the fading sunlight. Sandor was sitting more upright, and Sansa was lounging in the crook of his arm that was over her shoulders. He was telling her some story about a game of chicken he’d once played with Bronn and some of their other friends that had ended in a broken nose for Bronn and one of Sandor’s front teeth nearly knocked out. Sansa was laughing, face tipped up so she could look at him.

“That’s terrible.” She giggled. “But not at all surprising.”

“No.” he grinned, using his free hand to tap the tip of her nose. “We’re not known for being anything but rough.”

“Oh, now that’s not true.” She took his hand as he started pulling it away and pressed a kiss to his palm. “You can be really very sweet.”

“Only to you, little bird.” He leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Only you.”

“Would you mind if we joined you?” A voice broke into their little moment and they both looked up to see her parents were now standing near them, Ned motioning to the matching patio chairs that sat next to the chaise.

“Of course.” Sandor nodded and Sansa pulled herself more upright.

“Your lemon bars were a hit as always, Sansa.” Ned started. “Thank you for bringing them.”

“You’re welcome. The rest of the food was good, too. Mom, you really should make that pasta more often. I love it.”

Catelyn smiled a real smile. “Thank you, sweetheart.” She looked to Sandor. “Did you enjoy yourself, Sandor?”

“I did.” He nodded. “Thanks for the invite.”

“Well, we wanted to meet Sansa’s new beau.” Catelyn shrugged. “I must say, you aren’t really what we had in mind.”

“Of course not.” Sandor said blandly. “You were thinking more in line with Harry, right? Pretty and polished and wealthy. No matter if it meant Sansa’s happiness.”

“Sandor, please.” Sansa said softly, grabbing his hand to stop him. It wasn’t that what he was saying wasn’t true, but she didn’t want there to be any confrontation between him and her parents.

“No, sweetling.” Ned waved her off. “Sandor here is right, actually.”

“If not a little overly brash.” Catelyn added with a sniff. Ned reached over and patted her knee.

“Your mother and I have only ever wanted each of you children to find happiness. We might have had ideal versions of that happiness in mind for each of you, and it hasn’t always matched up with reality.”

“It seems, quite obviously, that you are happier now than you ever have been.” Catelyn said. “Especially with Harry. I hope you do know that we would never want you with someone who made you unhappy.”

“I know that, mom.” Sansa assured her. “It’s just…your expectations at times are…overwhelming.”

“I know.” She agreed with a sigh, then looked at Sandor. “Sandor, we are happy to have you in our home whenever you’d like. Just so long as you keep our princess happy.”

Sansa tilted her head up and smiled at Sandor who gave her a cheeky wink. It didn’t matter, she realized, if she were the prefect little princess or not. So long as she had her families love and support, and Sandor by her side.


End file.
